Automatic photographic detector device for passenger-cars.



' In. 7ll,935. Patented Oct. 28, I902.

F. W. BBODKS. AUTOIATIO PHOTOGBAPHICDETECTOR DEVICE FOR PASSENGER CARS.

(Application llod mi. 20, 1901.

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- "A rrormgs No. 7ll,935. Patented Oct. 28, 1902.

F. w. BROOKS.

AUTOIATIO PHOTOGRAPHS DETECTOR OEVIOE'FOR PASSENGER CABS.

(Applicltion Mod Aug. 28, 1901.)

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No. 7", 935. Patented Oct. 28, I902.

' F. W. BROOKS.

AUTOIATIO PHOTOGRAPHIC DETECTOR DEVICE FOR PASSENGER CABS.

ApplicAtiou filed Aug. 28, 1901.)

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FREDERICK \V. BROOKS, OF BROOKLYN, NEWV YORK.

AUTOMATIC PHOTOGRAPHIC DETECTOR DEVICE FOR PASSENGER-CARS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 711,935, dated October28, 1902.

I Application filed August 28, 1901- Serial No. 73,587. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern;

Be it known that I, FREDERICK WVJBROOKS,

a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city of NewYork,borough of Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of New York,have invented a new and Improved Automatic Photographic Detector Devicefor Passenger-Car's, of which the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription.

My invention relates to improvements in automatic recording detectiveregisters for passenger-cars.

The purpose of the invention is to provide an automatic recordingmechanism and means for operating the same for recording any or all, asin each case may be desired, the following data: the number and class ofpassengers, the distance ridden by each, the approximate time and placeof ingress and egress of each passenger, identifying the conductor, thecar, the trip, the day or night, the hour and minute of the day ornight, and the approximate location of the car in order to obtain a trueautomatic register or record of the trip and the number of passengerscarried independently of the cooperation and beyond the control of theconductor or faretaker in order that the truth or falsity of theconductors returns shall be shown and passenger-mileage reckoned, therecords being taken in such manner that they may be used aslantern-slides, whereby the records may be enlarged and projected on ascreen.

A further purpose of the invention is to pro vide automatic mechanismcontrolling electric circuits and connections to operate a photographiccamera or cameras to be operated electrically and automatically at suchintervals or distances apart as may be desired by and in consequence ofthe revolution of the car-wheels and governed by the number of suchrevolutions and to arrange the mechanism in such manner that saidintervals may be changed or adjusted at will, the camera or camerasbeing so situated as to photograph the interior or part of the interiorof the car, the platform or platforms and side running-hoards, and anyand all passengers that may come within its field, and, further, to soconnect the camera or cameras with the electric appliances of the car asto properly light the field of the camera and to cut off objectionableor conflicting lights, also to protect said devices and theirconnections from malicious tampering.

The invention consists in the main of the following parts: mechanical,electrical, photographical, and optical, and the combination andcooperation of all or any of them, which will be hereinafter moreparticularly described,and pointed out in the claims. These parts may bebriefly summed up as follows: first, a device connected with andoperated by the revolution of a wheel or axle of the car and anelectrical connection by which the operations of the camera andregisters and the distance between such operations are actuated andcontrolled; second, an electric current from any available source,preferably a battery,either primary or storage, situated in such part ofthe car as may be deemed most convenient and connected by conductorswith the above device, by which the circuit or circuits are opened orclosed, the opening and closing of the electric currents being arrangedto operate the camera or cameras, the registers, and the lighting andde-lighting of the car; third, a method for automatically lighting thecar in such portions as are desired and means for shutting offconflicting or objectionable lights.

I am aware of the claims granted in the Patent No. 610,971 for a camerain an ordinary railway-car operated by a tappet device placed near therailway-track and actuated by the pressure of air from the cylinder ofthe air-brake and lighted by a flash from magnesium or acetylene, all ofwhich I disclaim, as primarily my invention consists in the combinationof one or more combined and compensating cameras, the shutters of whichare operated by electricityand governed and controlled by the revolutionof a wheel of a car, serving to open and close the current from anelectric or galvanic battery, the car being lighted by electricity, suchlight being changed or regulated as desired with or without a registeror clock in order to record or locate or identify the car, or theconductor, or the day or time of day, or the distance traveled, orconductors record of fares, or passenger-mileage.

The invention consists in the novel construetion and combination of theseveral parts, as will be hereinafter fully set forth, and pointed outin the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part ofthis specification, in which similar characters ofreference indicatecorresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure l is a diagrammatic view of a car, showing the system of wiring.Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal section of the make-andbreak mechanismfor the main circuit, showing an axle in cross-section. Fig. 3 is atransverse section of the same, taken on the line 3 3 of Fig. 2. Fig. 4is=a vertical longitudinal section of the camera, illustrating means foroperating the films and the shutters. Fig. 5 is a side view of theremovable film-carrying box. Fig. 6 is an inside view of the front ofthe camera, showing the shutters and connections. Fig. 7 is a frontelevation of a register or bulletin and clock which may be used inconnection with a car having the improvement applied, the register beingprovided with a record of the distance traveled and such other data asmay in each case be desired to be recorded; and Fig. 8 is a longitudinalsection through an electric device for operating the distance-tape ofthe register.

Figs. 2 and 3 represent the actuating device, which is attached to thetruck of the car, showing the manner of operating my devicesautomatically by the revolution of an axle of the car.

A represents the axle of a car provided with one or more spurs 10 in thecircumference of the axle which will best befit the frequency of theoperation desired and which may be set directly into the substance ofthe axle, though preferably for convenience in change and repair thesaid spurs are set into a collar 11, clamped or otherwise secured aroundthe axle. The spur or spurs 10 are so arranged and situated that whenthe axle revolves they will engage the spokes of a wheel 12. wheel 12 issuch as maybe required to give the necessary frequency of revolution tothe shaft 13, upon which the said wheel 12 is secured. This shaft isjournaled in hangers 14, secured to a wall of a case or shell B, throughwhich the axle A passes and which may be supported beneath the car inany approved manner. This shell may be made of any desired substance,preferably steel, and is intended to prevent the devices inclosedthereby being maliciously meddled with. Said shell B may be providedwith any safe method of opening and closing.

The shaft 13 is provided with a worm-thread 15, so situated and arrangedas to mesh with the worm-wheel 16, mounted to revolve in suitablebearings 17, as shown in Fig. 2. This worm-wheel 16 is provided with oneor more spurs 18, having contact-faces 19, shown in the arc of a circle.The number of spurs 18 employed is in accordance with the frequency ofcontact desired, and said spurs 18 are so arranged that the number ofthem may be The number of spokes in saidchanged at pleasure. These spurs18 project from the disk portion of the wheel 16 in such manner thateach will at each rotation of the wheel 16 make electric or magneticcontact with two projections 20 and close an electric circuit at suchpoints. The contact projections 20 are attached to andinsulated throughthe hangers 14 and are part of an electric circuit 0 (shown in Fig. 3)and are the means of closing and completing or of breaking the circuit,in consequence of the action ofthe spur 18, through what .may' be termedthe sliding-bridge switches 19 and 20.

The wires of the circuit C are led into a conduit 21, which conduit isattached to and opens into the case or housing B. The conduit is made ofsuch material as to prevent malicious tampering with its contents, andthis conduit or conductor is led by any suitable means or route to thebatteries, cameralighting devices, registers, &c., as will behereinafter described.

It will be understood that the case or housing 13 isattached to thetruck of the car in such mannerand position as not to interfere with theaction or operation of the contained mechanism through the revolution ofthe axle A. With reference to the diagrammatic view shown in Fig. l, inwhich the car shown may be an electric car or a horse tram-car, open orclosed, operated by overhead trolley, third rail, storagebattery,underground rail,or other power, in such car one or moreelectricallycontrolled compound cameras 23 are placed in overheadposition, one near each end of the car, in such position that the cameranear the front end of the car will have for its field the rear portionof the car, including the platform, and in an open car the siderunningboards, also, if desired, the register, the clock orcalendar-clock, (shown in Fig. 7,) and such other data as may be desiredto be automatically recorded, the camera at the rear end of the caroperating in like manner to photograph the front portion of the car. The

register D, including a clock, if a clock is employed, is located,preferably, at one end only of a car, as is shown in Fig. 1, and thisregister in its preferred form is shown in detail in Fig. 7 and will behereinafter described.

The usual incandescent electric lights 24 employed for ordinary lightingpurposes may be placed wherever desired, and these lights 24, thoughusually kept in circuit when the car is running at night, may be cut outof circuit when the shutters of the camera are opened by the automaticaction of the switch shown in Fig. 7 and to be hereinafter particularlyreferred to.

In addition to the ordinary lights 24 above mentioned additionalincandescent lights 25 are placed in such position asmay be deemed bestto light the portions of the car being photographed, each camera-light25 being so screened as to prevent the light therefrom falling directlyinto the camera operating therewith, and a current therefor is arrangedin such manner that the going out of the lights 24 will shunt thecurrent through the cameralights 25 to be used for such camera while inoperation and to be in turn out out, and the current will return to thelights 24 when the shutter of the camera is again closed.

I do not lay claim to the method of wiring or electric connection abovereferred to, and therefore have not delineated the circuits norparticularly described them, as any ordinary expert electric workman canrun the wires necessary to accomplish the purpose required.

An electric primary or storage battery 26 is placed in any desirableposition in the car and is connected to and from the cameras, registers,lighting apparatus, and actuating devices by any desirable method ofwiring. The wiring in exposed places is to be carried in a conduitsimilar to the conduit 21 described, the conduit being led as requiredby the conditions of construction of the car.

In Figs. 7 and 8 I have shown aconductors register F and clock orcalendar-clock 27, on which may be shown such data as is thoughtdesirable to keep a full check on the conductor and identify the car,the conductor, the trip, the day, time of the day, the number ofpassengers, and the distance traveled, which being made part of thephotographic record precludes all uncertainty and completes theevidence. 7

In the construction of the register the upper and next lower panels 28and 29 are stationary but removable and respectively present the numberof the car and the number of the conductor. The third and fourth panels30 and 31 may also be removable, but the numerals appearing at suchpanels and indicating the passenger-record may be rung up by theconductor, as is customary and in any well-known manner. The last panel32, which represents the distance in miles traveled by the car, isprovided with a traveling tape 33 or similar appliance having numeralsthereon indicating miles and fractions thereof. This distance slip ortape is automatically operated from the axle A through a solenoidcoil 35(shown in Fig. 8) synchronously with the camera, showing the distancethe car has traveled from its starting-point.

With reference to Fig. 8 the solenoid 35 is suitably mounted in thecasing of the register and is connected by the wire 36 with a storagebattery or other source of electrical supply. The tape 33 is woundaround the drum 37 and is passed in contact with guiderollers 38,crossing an opening 39 in the reg istry-casing to a second drum or shaft40, provided with an attached ratchet-wheel41,which ratchet-wheel isengaged by a pawl 42, hinged to a shank 43, said shank being connectedwith the core of the solenoid. The pawl is held in a horizontal positionby a spring 44, connected with the shank, and the core 45 is drawnoutward from the solenoid by a spring 46, connected with the shank ofthe pawl and 2, at the bridge-switches 20.

a wall of the casing of the register. When the circuit of which thewires 36 form apart is closed, the core of the solenoid is drawn inwardand the ratchet-wheel 41 is turned, changing the position of thedistance slip or tape 33. As has been heretofore stated, the opening andclosing of the solenoid-circuit is accomplished by the revolution of anaxle or wheel of the vehicle.

In Figs. 4 and 6 I have illustrated a compound camera 23 with preferablythree sights 47, in which the variableness of the light is compensatedfor by having a diiferent-sized aperture at the lens of the severalcameras, with the object or purpose of always obtaining an impression orrecord on the film or plate, if such be used, by the same average timeof exposure, as when the light is very intense the records at and 49 maybe overexposed and burned out, while the sight at 48 being partlyobscured will secure a record, as the opening at 50 is the largest, thenext largest opening being at 49 and the smallest at 48, and the saidparts 48, 49, and 50 indicate shutters for the sights 47. If the lightis of moderate strength, the intermediatesized sight, or that which isat the shutter 49, will secure a record, while the smallest sight willbe deficient in exposure and the largest sight will be overexposed. Ifthe light be very weak, then the largest sight will obtain a record,while the intermediate-sized and the smallest-sized sights will beinsufliciently exposed and the picture-record given out by them will bemore or less incomplete.

The shutters 48, 49, and 50 of the camera are controlled by rods 51,connected with the core 53 of a solenoid 52 through the medium of ashifting bar 51, the connection being in such manner that the movementof the solenoid-core 53 will open and close the shutters, whichsolenoid-core 53 is actuated by the closing of the circuit C, as shownin Fig.

The solenoidcore is returned to place to close the shutters by theaction of the spring 54, encircling the core 53 and having bearingagainst a head 55 on the core and the end of the body or coil of thesolenoid. Viih reference to Fig. 6 a switch 56 is carried by theshifting bar 51, adapted in the movement of the shifting bar to engagewith bridge orcontactpoint-s 57, 57, and 58. The bridge or contactpoints 57 and 58 are respectively connected with the usual or regularelectric-lighting wires 59 and (50, connected in circuit while thecamera is closed, the current then being only on the wire 59. The thirdbridge or contact point 57 is connected with a camera-lighting wire 59,thrown into circuit by the movement of the switch 50 when the shutter ofthe camera is opened, thus shutting oif the regular or usual lights 24and shunting the current through the auxiliary lights 25 or the lightsassigned to illuminate the car for photographing and on the return ofthe solenoid-core 53 and the closing of the camera to return thelighting-current to its usual course. This lighting-circuit is arrangedso that, if desired, it may be used day and night or day or night, sothat there may always be suflicientlight even when passing through shadyplaces or on cloudy days or at twilight, while the variation of light iscompensated for by the camera, as above described.

The lenses of the camera are suitably supported at theirinner endswithin their frames, as shown in Fig. 4, and each camera frame or casingis provided with a door a to receive a dark box F or a box or otherreceptacle which is to receive the films, preferably, or plates forexposure, and said box F is shown as provided with an inclined front a,having an aperture or apertures a to receive the lens tube or tubes ofthe camera, which tubes are preferably supported at their inner ends, asis shown in Fig. 4. The inner portions a of the dark box are providedwith openings 03, as stated, to receive the inner ends of thelens-tubes, as is shown in the same figure. Each dark box is providedwith a solenoid 7 O, the core 71 of which is spring-controlled in onedirection by a spring 72, shown coiled around the core and bearingagainst the body ofthe solenoid and one end of the core, as is shown inFigs. 4 and 5.

The dark box is provided with two shafts or drums 76 and 77, mounted torot-ate therein, which shafts may be removed at any time from the darkbox by opening a door a provided at one end or side of the box, and thesaid shafts 76 and 77 are represented as carrying a film 75, which filmpasses from one shaft or drum to the other over the opening (1 and thesheet of film is actuated by the movement of the core of the solenoidthrough the medium of clamps 74, carried by the core 71 of the solenoid70 at that end opposite which the spring is located, and in order toproperly support the clamp 74 the end of the core of the solenoid towhich it is attached is more or less curved or formed in the shape of ahook 73, as is shown in Figs. 4 and 5. This clamp 74 is so arranged thatit will grip the film when it is to be drawn past the opening 0, butwill have no influence on the film when the solenoid-core 71 is returnedto its normal position. It will be understood that the winding-shaft 76may be spring-controlled in any manner which will enable the windingdrum or shaft 70 to take up the slack of the film and to keep the filmstraight before the exposure-opening a 0 represents the main or lightingcircuit, as is shown in Fig. 1. The wires 70 and 71 lead from theshutter-solenoid 52 for the op- Fig. 4.) The wire 73 leads from themakeand-break connection to the main circuit, while the wire 74-leadsalso to themain circuit. Each of the wires 72 and 73 is provided withthe contact-points 72 and 73, (shown in Fig. 6,) and these points areillustrated as of semicircular form and may be termed bridge-switches,since they are to be engaged by a similar switch 61, which is carried bythe core 53 of the shutter-solenoid 52, and the contact between theswitch 61 of the solenoid-core 53 and the bridges 7 2 and 73" is broughtabout when the core 53 of the shutter-solenoid 52 has been energized andcarried outward, placing the spring 54 under tension.

In general the operation of the mechanism may be described as follows:The revolution of the axle of the car connects the current ofelectricity which opens the shutter of the camera, at the same timeturning oi the general or usual lights in the car and turning on thelights which are especially devised and placed to light those portionsof the car to be photographed, and simultaneously moves thedistance-tape 33, (shown in Fig. 7,) at which the camera or cameras takethe record of the car-number, the conductors number, photographing theconductor, the number of fares rung up by the conductor on the register,the locality, the year, the mouth, the day, the hour, and the minute oftaking the record, the number and class of passengers in the car,distinguishing thereby such officials as are entitled by law to ridefree, including employees of the road in uniform, and children. Theserecords may be arranged to be taken as frequently or as infrequently orat such distance apart as may be desirable by altering the number ofspurs 10 on the car-axle A, or provision may be made to such end byincreasing the number of the contact-bridges 19, carried by the spurs 18on the wheel 16,

around whichwheel 16 apertures d have been made, each adapted to receivesuch contactbridge.

At such time'and places as may be desired the film-spools containing arecord may be taken out (inclosed in a dark box) and developed andprinted in any suitable way and by any suitable process and may befitted for enlargement on a screen-for example, by a magic lantern, astereopticon, or a light adapted for the purpose.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patentv 1. An automatic photographic detective car, and amagnetic member for intermittingly actuating said shutter, thusproducing a plurality of images in rapid succession.

2. An automatic photographic detective register for cars, comprising acamera provided with a movable film and a movable shutter, separatemagnetic members for actuating said film and said shutter, a source ofelectricity for supplying a current to said magnetic members, and meanscontrollable automatically by the movements of the running-gear of thecar for putting said respective magnetic members out of and intocircuit.

An automatic photographic detective register for cars, comprising acamera provided with a movable film and a movable shutter, separatemagnetic members for actuating said film and said shutter intermittinglyand at diiferent moments, and means controllable automatically by themovements of the car for intermittingly energizing said magneticmembers.

4. An automatic photographic detective register for cars, comprising acamera provided with an electrically-operated shutter, electric lightsto be periodically out out of and into circuit at intervalscorresponding to the movements of said sh utter, means for supplying acurrent to said shutter and said lights, and means controllableautomatically by the running-gear of the car for intermittingly cuttingsaid shutter and said lights out of and into circuit.

5. An automatic photographic detective register for cars, comprising acamera, electric lights to be flashed intermittingly for the purpose ofilluminating the field of said camera, an electric circuit for supplyinga current to said lights, and means controllable automatically by themovements of the runninggear of said car for cutting said lights intoand out of circuit.

6. An automatic photographic detective register for cars, comprising acamera, an

electrically governed shutter for the same, electric lights, means forsupplying a normally constant current to said shutter and said lights,and a device automatically controlled by the running-gear of the car forcutting said shutter and said lights into and out of circuit as occasionrequires.

7. An automatic photographic detective register for cars, comprising acamera provided with an electrically-operated shutter, a solenoid-coilfor actuating said shutter, electric lights for coacting with saidcamera, a switch actuated by said solenoid-coil for controlling saidlights, and means automatically controlled by the running-gear of thecar for intermittingly cutting said solenoid and said electric lightsinto and out of circuit.

8. An automatic photographic detective register for cars, comprising acamera provided with an automatic shutter, electric lights to illuminatethe field of said camera, irrespective of lights ordinarily in use, andmeans controllable automatically by the running-gear of the car forperiodically cutting off said other lights normally in use.

9. An automatic photographic detective register for cars, comprising aplurality of cameras adapted to diiferent degrees of illumination, afilm common to allot said cameras,

means for actuating said film, shutters for all of said cameras, anelectric device for actuating all of the said shutters, means forsupplying a current to said electric device, and means controllableautomatically by the running-gear of the car for periodically cuttingthe said electric device out of and into circuit.

10. An automatic photographic detective register for passenger cars,comprising a camera, a shutter therefor, a magnetic member for actuatingsaid shutter in one direction, a spring for retracting said shutter, asource of electrical supply for energizing said magnetic member, amovable film, means for intermittingly actuating the same, and meansautomatically actuated by the running-gear of the car for intermittinglycutting said shutter out of and into circuit.

11. An automatic photographic detective register for cars, comprising acamera provided with a film and a shutter, separate magnetic members forcontrolling said shutter and said film, an electric circuit foralternately actuating said magnetic members, and means automaticallyactuated by the running-gear of the car for intermittingly opening andclosing said electric circuit.

12. An automatic photographic detective register for cars, comprising acamera, an electrically-operated shutter for the same,electrically-operated film-moving devices coacting with said shutter,electric devices for operating said shutter and said film-movingdevices, and a contacting device located in said electric circuit andactuated periodically by the rotation of the axle of the car.

13. An automatic photographic detective register for cars, comprising acamera mounted upon a car and provided with an electrically-controlledshutter,an electric circuit controlled by movements of the car foroperating said shutter, electric lamps connected separately with saidshutter, and means for automatically shifting the current from one toanother of said lamps synchronously with the movement of the saidshutter.

14-. An automatic photographic detective register for cars, comprising acamera mounted upon a car and provided with a movable shutter and with amovable film, separate electric devices for actuating said shutter andsaid film, a source of electrical supply, and means controllable bymovements of the car for periodically cutting said electric devices outof and into circuit.

15. An automatic photographic detective register for cars, comprising acamera mounted upon a car and provided with a movable shutter and with amovable film, separate electric devices for actuating said shutter andsaid film alternately, a source of electrical supply common to both ofsaid electric devices, and means controllable by movements of the carfor alternately shifting the current from one of said devices to theother.

16. An automatic photographic detective register for cars, comprising acamera mounted upon a car and provided with a movable shutter, anelectromagnetic device for controlling said shutter, a film, anelectromagnetic device for controlling said film, a source of electricalsupply, means controllable by the movements of the car for throwing.said first-mentioned electromagnetic device into and out of circuit,'andmeans for automatically throwing a second electromagnetic device intoand out of circuit alternately with the first-mentioned electromagneticdevice.

17. An automatic photographic detective register for cars, comprising acamera mounted upon a car and provided with a movable shutter and with amovable film, separate solenoids for actuating said shutter and saidfilm, a source of electricity for actuating said solenoids, mechanismautomatically controllable by the movements of the car for governing thesupply of electricity, and means for automatically shifting the currentfrom one of said solenoids to the other.

18. An automatic photographic detective register for cars, comprising acamera mounted upon a car and provided Witha movable shutter and with amovable film, separate solenoids for actuating said shutter and saidfilm, a source of electricity for actuating said solenoids, mechanismautomatically control- 30 lable by the movements of the car forgoverning the supply of electricity, members for lamps separatelyconnected therewith, mechanism automatically controllable by themovements of the car for governing the supply of electricity and forautomatically shifting the current from said source of electricity tosaid solenoids alternately, and means for automatically shifting saidelectric current to said lamps alternately.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

FREDERICK W. BROOKS. Witnesses:

J. FRED. ACKER,

EVERARD B. MARSHALL.

